Joe Strike, also known as Professor Myron J. Comus (or just Comus) and Komos (born April 22nd 1950), is a writer and artist who is a longtime participant in furry fandom,[1]. He grew up in Brooklyn and remains a resident of New York, USA.

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Like many furs, Joe had a lifelong interest in anthropomorphic animals, primarily cultivated by exposure to Warner Bros. Looney Tunes, Disney animation and the "funny animal" comic books he read in his parents' Brooklyn NY candy store. He discovered furry fandom in 1988, not long after the fandom's birth when he received an unsolicited invitation to a "furry party" being held at Philadelphia's Philcon science fiction convention.

Joe is writing Furry Nation, a non-fiction book tracing the birth and growth of furry fandom and its relationship to the various forms of anthropomorphic representation that have been part of civilization throughout human history. In March 2015 he secured a literary agent to seek a publisher for the book; in June 2016 he signed a contract with Cleis Press who will publish the book in the fall of 2017.

Joe has completed a children's novel, 'The Incredible Hare'. His 2013 Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to self-publish was unsuccessful, but as of August 2015 he is seeking a literary agent to present his book to mainstream publishers.

The Incredible Hare was originally conceived of as a children's TV series in the mold of Sid and Marty Krofft's various TV shows. Unable to interest TV networks or production companies in the project, Joe decided to write the character's origin story as a children's novel targeted to kids in the 8-to-12 age range. The novel tells the story of shy teenaged lab assistant Harold Hopper. The victim of an unauthorized lab experiment gone wrong, Harold is now subject to unpredictable and unwanted transformations into "Harry," an anthropomorphic, human-sized rabbit - an irrepressible trickster and mischief-maker. Thanks to his live-on-TV rescue of Harold's boss Professor Burnside from a hazardous bungee jump on the reality series America's Most Dangerous Amateur Stunts, Harry quickly becomes a world-wide celebrity.

Thanks to his rescue, the self-important Burnside now sees himself as Harry's 'confidant and partner in adventure,' a role already taken by Harold's adventurous kid sister Cindy. Meanwhile, Nicky Nesbitt, Stunt's venal host, sets out to exploit Harry's fame - but Harry has other ideas...

Originally uninterested in fursuiting, Joe grew intrigued with the possibility of commissioning a suit of his anthropomorphic komodo dragon character "Komos" (see below). In 2016 he commissioned fursuit builder Artslave to construct the suit, which he first wore to the Anthrocon convention in June/July of that year.

Komos is the co-star of Komos & Goldie, an ongoing superheroic mini-comic co-created and written by Joe and British fur Oliver Coombes ('Desiring Change' on Fur Affinity), and drawn by Karno. It is available online and was informally previewed at Anthrocon 2016.

Joe first became fascinated by animal transformation as a child, watching Disney films like The Shaggy Dog and The Sword in the Stone, and by learning about Circe [3] and Greek Mythology in elementary school. Inspired by the concept he began drawing transformation pictures with a common setting and theme: "Circe's Funhouse," an enchanted amusement park created by Circe where the attractions transform visitors into different animals.

In 1999 Joe began posting Funhouse art online at http://www.circesfunhouse.com under the pen name "Comus." From 1999 to 2007 the Funhouse was hosted first by TransFur and then by TF Central. In late 2007 TF Central ceased hosting the site without explanation. The Funhouse came back online at the end of 2009 but from 2009-on Joe has been posting both his Funhouse and general furry art exclusively at Fur Affinity.

As well as Circe herself, recurring Funhouse characters include Saurina, a lascivious female alligator granted sapience by Circe's magic, and Mr. Airwick, an anthropomorphic skunk (inspired by Pepe Le Pew) who was formerly a gay human. In 2008 Joe began posting pictures of Komos, a sinister and superpowered anthropomorphic komodo dragon who undertakes various missions on behalf of his mistress. Circe has endowed them all with their own transformative powers.